Endings and Beginnings
by Gold Standard
Summary: After the events from the past 3 seasons, has the paranormal adventure come to an indefinite halt? No one says it should.
1. Future: Unknown

**Chapter 1: **

**Future Unknown**

School was out for the day. Jack Phillips had just got out of his last period course before Spring Break. It's been months since he and his fellow friends over there have experienced a sort of the paranormal. Of course nothing can be expressed as 'major' when his sister, Fi, was in the picture. Since her departure to Seattle, things haven't gotten much worse. Jack had changed these past two years; touring, encountering the third kind, and ecetera. Had the adventure came to a proper stopping point? Or was it placed aside the shelf for it to be removed out of?

"Man; what a way to kick off the weekend!" He exclaimed. Jack hasn't spoken in such an exciting mood, at least it has been awhile. While staring down at his interim report, he knew he could escape the 'prison cell'. As much as everyone dislikes coming to a public school system to get an Education, could anybody get as far as receiving a diploma in their hands? Who knows what Jack knows.

"Hey Jack," a voice spoken behind him. The clean cut teen turned his attention where a blonde sat upon the bench. "What have you been up to?"

"Ugh not so much at all," he replied. Jack and Annie have encountered many unordinary species. Whether it'd be someone who possesses the ability to do something your typical humans can't, or if a T.V would come on without an outlet to support it, it wouldn't be any surprise.

"Where's Carey? He would've been here about a couple of minutes ago?" She said. Annie has been in Hope Springs for over a year now. After the craziest adventures as a freshmen, she's moving over to whatever path that trails her when sophomore year comes along. The engraving ring Fi had given her the day she decided to drop her duties as a private eye has long been gone. Since she realized that, it seems 2001 may have turned out to have been a 'taken a back seat' year...at least that's what Annie considers.

"Um, he's always late. Is that a surprise?" Jack commented.

"I'm just joking you know," Annie giggled. "Well according to the weather report, it looks like it's going to shower."

"First of all, you're sounding like Clu. Next, I thought all of this paranormal stuff is finally done for. What more could I bargain for?" A paranoid Jack said. Meanwhile Annie just looked at him awkwardly, something she usually does when it came down towards random execution. "Please, not the look."

"Jack; is there something wrong? I mean you're acting like there's somebody stalking you." Annie out of curiousity asked.

"Oh it's nothing really. I'm just glad we are at Spring Break. You know seeing you in those bikinis, every guy squirting water guns at y..."

Annie interrupts Jack's speech. "Okay let's not play the 'pick on Annie' game. Not to talk like in third person, but I know we've always get laid."

The male teen sat on the bench next to her. He didn't gravitate at her nor did he touched her in a way a female would become uncomfortable of. It was just a friendly friend sort of talk.

"I...I- He stuttered. As frustrated as Jack feels, clarification wasn't his specialty. "I was wondering..."

Once again the blonde raised her eyebrows; upward and downward. "You're wondering...? Let me guess. You and I want to go out?"

Jack closed his eyes. For the next few minutes he couldn't think of a single phrase or word in an effort of completing his statement. How many times has he executed a conversation where it would involve as towards blind dating and other various types of going out, mostly during a Friday night? That's his personality for you.

"What makes you think that? Do you realize how much it means to have a girlfriend who doesn't like someone because of their looks?" Jack said.

"I think you've been asking way too many questions," Annie responded.

"Look just forget what I said. How about we go across the street? It's my treat." He suggested.

"You mean that house, or should I say abandoned house?" She asked. "Jack, if this is one of your typical plans of playing I Spy, count me out."

The clean cut teen sighed. He didn't want to admit whatever emotions swirled within him. Jack felt as if he needed a sort of sidekick. Just how pointless could he consider, or take into the account?

"I'm sorry; I don't think I should've said that." Annie said. Meanwhile Jack lied his back on the wooden bench. "Did you ever felt something like you've wanted to fit in somewhere? It's not that I want to know, but something that's been going on in my mind."

"Why are you asking? Not that I feel insulted the way I said it." Jack said.

"Who needs this ring anyways? I don't feel like I was doing my job being the instigator of sorts." She responded. Ann tried removing the ring out from her pinky, but Jack stopped her.

"What are you trying to do? If it means devaluing the special gift my little sister had since she was little, you're just going to throw it away?" Jack convinced the long haired blonde from surrendering the once engraved ring, a gift passed down from the offspring. Annie felt there was no point of investigation the unusual surroundings she and her crew have encountered. These past several months seem so thin, at least from her perspective. "Maybe it's best if I take it."

"I'm not joking Jack. This ring doesn't mean anything. I know you and Fi share as much than you guys claim. I was born as an only child in case you haven't heard. Where's the 'it' crew when I need them?" She whined. Soon she lied down on the bench, her head attached across from Jack's.

"We're not looking at the stars. I mean it's not even sunset." Jack joked. He'd sat up. Jack thinks back to the moments where Fi was in desperate need of help. He never admitted to her how deep inside he believed the paranormals lurking around. For the most part Jack kept silent.

"Hey dudes and dude dats; what's up?" a voice shouted. Not so distantly Clu Bell waved his hand, allowing the couplets to acknowledge.

"Didn't you say his car broke down?" Annie whispered.

"I never said anything about that. Let me guess..." Jack was on the verge of blurting the predicate, but Clu intercepted.

"Carey had to stop by. The last I heard he was getting something from the repairment shop." Clu assured the two teens. For quite some time he considered pursuing a career of becoming a school teacher. It wasn't like it was apart of his blood. Then again he has his reasons.

"What's up with college? I can't believe your already there." Jack said, "Not that I'm jealous or anything."

Clu placed his briefcase inside the open trunk of his car. As soon as it shuts, the gentleman took the duration hanging out with his fellow crew. "Of course how could I envy you bro? I know it's been months since we talked face to face...well, besides chatting that is."

"I think it's better off if we discussed this in the car?" The blonde said.

"You said it!" Clu responded joyfully.


	2. Storming Hope Springs

Annie's eyes pointed across Clu's convertable car. It's not like she would take a test drive for it; no, no. "I didn't have any idea you had that kind of car."

"Well my father and I worked on the repairs," Clu responded. "I just did the auto paintings."

From the rear view mirror, Jack glanced upon the jealous expression on his face. It wasn't anything personal, nothing that would cause some tension between him and his buddy. "Now if only I got my driver's permit, this wouldn't be the case."

"What were you muttering about Jack?" Annie asked.

"Oh it's nothing big of a deal; by the way last person to enter the car has to do my homework," Jack said.

"But Jac-" The blonde's remark was cut off. Following that remark Clu rushed into the driver's seat as the cleancut teen entered the front passenger's. "Not this again." She sighed.

About half an hour passed. The conditions outside was rather foggy. Not to mention the amount of heavy raindrops. Clu turns on the windshield wipers of his car. Lately nothing as strange like this could compare to any of the adventures they've encountered. Four months after the package incident, Annie's interest investigating the paranormal, if not the close encounters of the third kind, had waned down. Every time she looked at the ring she thought she wasn't worthy of possessing such power. Perhaps Annie felt she was being in Fiona's shadow. She hadn't even talked or chatted online. That's getting all too weird.

"Why is everybody so quiet?" Annie said. "It's not because of the raindrops is it?"

Jack gravitated towards the blonde. "It's nothing; besides every time you say that something goes wrong."

Suddenly a screech shrieked the trio. Clu, however, acknowledged the awkward like sound. "Oh please not the tires. I thought Dad said it was in good shape." It was only a matter of time before the car pulled off automatically. Even honking the car had ever infuriated a humorous man like Clue Bell would.

"Could you hold on for a jiff. There's something I need to take care of." He said. Clu immediately got out of his car. With no raincoat or anything to shield his head, he instead examined the issues of its flat tire. Clu re-entered the car, shutting his door shut. "Well unfortunately, I got some bad news. The tire is stuck onto the street, and we can't make our escape with the weather being all icy."

"There's no freezing ice during Spring time!" Annie exclaimed. "How cold is it out there?"

Clu opened the window from his side. Using his thermometer, he observes the temperature. "About 32 degrees outside. It doesn't surprise since Hope Springs is usually cold and windy."

"Hey; did anybody bring their phone along the way? I mean at least we don't have to be stuck in this predicament." Jack suggested. He glanced inside Annie's purse which inside was a pink shaded cell phone.

"I guess I have a reason to live," She said, "After all."

As Jack grabbed the girl's cell phone, he dialed the selected key button HOME. The phone continued buzzing, waiting for a response. Within a minute or so, there was no signal. "This is even more bad news. No one's responding to us."

"I had a feeling this was going to happen; bummer," Clu said. "So, any plans for the Spring Fling? I heard your mother is giving away tickets to go to the Woodstock concert this year."

Jack sighed. "I convinced my mom to go, but I have so much school stuff to deal with. I might as well miss out on another concert." He said. Over the course of his school year he's worked in high efforts to succeed as far as education goes. Then again Jack didn't seem to mind ditching events and charity and so forth.

"Like, how many times in a row? Let me guess; two?." Annie jokingly assumed. As much as Jack hated to admit, he did miss out on luck whether it'd be spending time with his mother, a few friends or so and such. In recent months that was the case. Quite frankly he did manage his time wisely, planning things in advance.

"How many times I'm going to pwn myself?" Jack mumbled. He held his head up in frustration.

"Well my teaching skills at other schools seem to be pretty straight forward," His pal Clue said. "Besides there's no place than being the prodigical gentleman Hopes Springs has to offer."

Meanwhile Annie took a glimpse at the window where raindrops heavily poured. It reminded her the day she first came to such a minor population in this small town. Then again she never convinced anybody what she feels being around the likes of a famous rock star; or should she say rock star in the making. Just being the average teen, could a girl like her be wandering all over the place just to stumble upon a variety of supernatural elements? Did she even doubt herself at least a single bit as to why these things occur? If only Annie knew.

"Annie; you haven't spoken much since we got into the car." Jack took notice. "If it's about poking fun of you, then it's not as a big of a deal as you think. You know we were only kidding back there."

"Jack, I-" She stuttered. A struck of lightning recieved a send of heartbeats per minute.

"It's a good thing I packed a snack along the way. I didn't even eat lunch this afternoon." Clue said. To kill off the struggle between the car and the horrendous weather outside, he grabbed his tuna sandwich. As for the other two, Jack unbuckled his seat belt considering they'd remain in the car for the duration. Annie, on the other hand, placed her hand on her cheek, her elbows touching against the window. She was being silent.

"I know it's been pretty rough for you. If there's anything I can do, don't hesitate." Jack said in his honesty.

"Jack, it's not that I take things personal. I mean we've been through so many awkward adventures here and there. Even yours were ten times hectic than mine." Annie admitted. "I don't deserve to wear this ring. It's just only for design, devalued like that, you know?"

The cleancut male brushed off the dampening shirt. From the raindrops veining from Clu's outfit, it didn't get as more irritating in contrast to the weather currency. "Maybe I shouldn't be talking about it anyways."

"It's just that I haven't been getting any replies from your sister. I mean she knows pretty much about everything around here. I'm just a girl trying to find my way." Annie said thoroughly. "What do you think I'm doing wrong?"

"You're not doing anything wrong," Jack responded. "The only thing you're doing wrong is, well I am not gonna say whining but the thing is you're doubting yourself. There's just this thing about you; being jumpy, energetic, and just plain average Ann. So far I am just glad there's nothing out of the ordinary coming in anymore."

Annie drew a sigh once more. "That's for you to say." As the raindrops constantly kept on pouring, she noticed a young man standing along the shrouding woods.

"Annie...Annie." Jack waved his hand across the blonde's face. "It's not like you've seen another ghost or anything."

Meanwhile Clu saw a man, an elderly man lying on the front auto part of his vehicle. No blood came pouring down. "Okay is it just me or am I hallucinating?" Clu turned on the engines or at least attempted in inserting the keys. Before he knew it, sirens started bursting through his ears as did Jack and Annie.

"What's that cricket noise I'm hearing?" He exclaimed, covering his ears.

"The guy's gone all of a sudden," Clu said. "But how is that possible?"

Annie slowly opened the car door next to her. "Look I think it's best if I check it out. You two should keep a watch on the car."

"Annie what are you thinking?" Jack said. "There's lightning out there and we're not going to get ourselves into a high risk like that." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Besides two heads are better than one."

The long haired blonde getting the life ache of sorts failed in search of any alternate options. "Alright you win. Clu, you keep an eye on your car."

Clu gestures a salute. "Scouts honor...uh yeah."


End file.
